Power to the Faint

Isaiah 40:29 - He gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increases strength. 

    The God we serve is not far off, distant, or disengaged from our lives; in fact, He is the exact opposite of that. He is the up-close-and-personal God; the greatest and most caring Father one could ever know, and this is the One of whom Isaiah says that He gives power to the faint. It is always His will and desire to give, and that is because giving is at the root and core of His very nature.

    What is it that the Lord wants to give? Power. Nothing in this life will be of any beneficial use without power. Mankind has always looked for ways to harness a greater power to produce maximum results. In the days before electrical power was dominant, there were other forms of power which were utilized by men. It might have been the power of the long branch operated to leverage a heavy object, or the power of the horse pulling a plow, or that of the rushing river turning a wheel to grind wheat into flour. Likewise, our bodies need an outside power which is greater than ourselves, and our gracious Father is in the power business.

    He gives power; we do not earn it. It is freely given, but just like electricity must be conducted, so the laws surrounding God’s power must be followed for it to flow unhindered. As was stated previously, it is always God’s will to give, but there is no giving without one to receive the gift, and the way that we receive from Him is faith. Faith is conducive to the flow of power.

   When something is referred to as being faint, then that means it is feeble and weak. A faint signal would be one that is extremely hard to hear and barely perceptible; a faint light would be a dim bulb that is on the verge of burning out; and a faint body would be one that is very fragile and without strength or vitality. God gives power to the faint; He strengthens the weak bodies of people and places them on a path of recovery. He strengthens their resolve and fills them anew with hope. Power from God does not always remove the sickness instantaneously, although it can, it often simply strengthens the body and promotes a healing process. If we are struggling with a sickness or, a chronic weakness of any kind, based on this verse, we can confidently ask and expect God to give us His power and strength to sustain us and empower us to overcome the difficulty.

    Who is it that God desires to give His power to? The faint and those who have no strength. The heart of our Father God seems to be attracted to the underdog and to those who are suffering and have no one to help them. Indeed, He says elsewhere that He will not extinguish a dimly burning wick. This is good news for all of us who may find ourselves in a dark and depressed place, without hope, for when we are at the end of our self, we find the beginning of God. Being at the end of our rope is the right time to let go and let God catch us in His loving arms, and once those arms surround and embrace us, His power is simultaneously transferred into us. He is so faithful, so reliable, and so generous; without a doubt; He gives power to the faint.